Off Season (Off 5.5)

Her hand slid down from my chest, across my stomach, and over the fly of my jeans. Her fingers curled around my erection and she squeezed, causing a moan to slip out of my mouth. "I don't do stuff like this," she said quietly. "But I very much want to now. So, there won't be any regrets."

My brain was fuzzy, not from the beers I drank but from those slender fingers gripping my cock. A gentlemanly part of me thought, Maybe I should stop this, but the horny guy inside of me said, Bring it on.

Reaching down, I swatted Cady's hand away and laid another deep kiss on her. I let the night cloak us in darkness, while my hands wandered down to the waistband of her jeans. "We're agreed then," I murmur against her lips. "No regrets?"

"No regrets," she breathed out in a rush.

"Good," I told her as I popped the button open on her jeans. "I most certainly am not going to regret this then."

Cady sucked in her breath as I quickly dragged her zipper down and snaked my hand down the front of her pants. My fingers knew what they were doing... having made this journey before on countless women, and in a sensually suave move, I had my fingers in her underwear and stroking through her slick folds.

Cady jerked in my arms and brought her hands up to grip at my biceps. "Zane... what are you doing? We're standing out in the front yard."

Leaning down, I nipped at her neck and growled. "No one can see us. It's dark out here, and I can't wait to get inside. I need to get just a little taste of you right now."

Slipping a finger inside of her, I brought my mouth back down on her roughly, gobbling up the deep groan she forced into my mouth. Her hips undulated, and I pushed another finger inside. She was so fucking wet and slick, and as I kissed the hell out of her in Linc's front yard, she rode my fingers to a blistering orgasm that came on so fast, I was amazed over her response.

"Fuck, that was hot," I whispered as I pulled my hand out of her pants. She sort of sagged against me and nodded in agreement, taking in a shaky breath.

"I can't believe I came that fast," she said with a giggle, and I grinned back at her.

"Well, that was enough to take the edge off," I told her salaciously, "but I have a whole arsenal of tricks I want to do to you. Let's get inside."

She grabbed my hand. We ran across the front yard, up the porch, and then we were quietly slipping inside Linc and Ever's house. We tiptoed back to Cady's bedroom and shut the door behind us.

Then it was on.

We went at each other all night... like animals... just as I envisioned it.

It was the hottest night of my life, and I can only thank God that Linc and Ever's bedroom was on the opposite side of the sprawling ranch home, because we weren't all that quiet.

Linc didn't say a word to me the next morning. He and Ever were in the kitchen when Cady and I walked out. Both of their eyebrows raised in unison when they saw me, and while Ever had a smirk on her face, Linc gave me a glare.

Before I could even defend that look, Cady hissed at Linc, "Not a damn word."

Blinking at her in surprise, he merely nodded and went back to drinking his coffee. Cady walked me outside, where we sat on the front porch step while we waited for the cab I called to come pick me up.

I held her hand lightly in mine, and she laid her head on my shoulder.

"Thanks for last night," she said quietly. "I had a great time."

Smiling, I squeezed her hand. "Yeah, I did too. A really great time."

And I did. Probably the best fucking sex of my life, and I know exactly why. It's like I was absolutely in tune with Cady, and she was completely in sync with me. Every want or desire that was coursing through me, she fulfilled without me even having to ask for it. It's like she knew what I wanted, how I wanted it, and when to give it to me. I felt like her body belonged solely to me, and I was hell-bent on making her come as many times as I could before the sun peeked up.

But it was with regret that the cab pulled up, and I realized I would never see her again. I wasn't really in the market for a committed relationship, but damn it all to hell if Cady didn't make me have an actual regret that we swore we wouldn't have.

I regretted that she was leaving to fly back to Ireland.

Throwing the remote control on the table, I reach over and pick up my phone. After I turn it on, I send a quick text to Linc. Give me Cady's email address.

I don't wait long before I get his reply. What the fuck for?

Because I want to email her, douche.

He didn't respond for a full ten minutes, and I was just getting ready to call him when my phone chimed. I read the text, grinning.

[email protected]

Chapter 3

Cady

Rubbing my eyes, I walk sluggishly into the tiny kitchen of my flat. Jet lag sucks big time. Even though I flopped onto my bed as soon as I walked in the door, and then proceeded to sleep for another seven hours, I was still feeling the pull of the different time zones on my body.

I make quick work of heating water in the kettle and pour myself a cup of tea. While it steeps, I sit down at the small, scarred table in my kitchen--a hand-me-down from my parents--and fire up my laptop. Classes start tomorrow, and I'm kicking myself in the ass for not coming back a day earlier so I could get some more rest. As it stands now, I know I'm only going to be half awake at my first day back at uni.

Pulling up my email, I quickly find my class schedule that had been sent from the registrar's office over a month ago, making note of where I'd need to be tomorrow. Luckily, I had purchased all of my books before I left on vacation, so I was ready to go. And tremendously excited too. I was almost halfway through my master's program, and then I was hoping to land my dream job in educational management.

When I first started at Trinity, I wanted to be a teacher. And who knows... maybe I still do to some extent, but I also have a keen interest in being a deeper part of the system. To work behind the scenes... to be responsible for the success of the institution. I decided to pursue my master's, which would let me pursue either avenue, and while I very much enjoy my studies, I am so ready to start working in the real world.

After printing my schedule, I delete that message and skim through my other email. Reaching for my cup of tea, it only gets halfway to my lips when I freeze at the email staring at me from my inbox.

The sender's name says IceCoyote46 and the subject line says: Regrets Are Subjective Anyway.

My heart starts a mad pitter-pattering within my chest cavity, and my skin tingles. I don't have to open the email to know it's from Zane.

I stare at it a moment, taking stock of my feelings. When I accepted a sweet kiss from Zane just before he got in the cab yesterday, a feeling of bitter disappointment had risen within me. Not that I had a one-night stand, but that we were parting ways and I wouldn't see him again. While I knew it was silly to pine after someone I hardly knew, the truth of the matter was, he had been filling my thoughts a lot.

As in... I thought about him the entire flight back to Dublin. One of the reasons I'm so tired is because I could barely sleep. Instead, I replayed everything about our night together, relishing in the memories and the feelings they reproduced.

Not just physical feelings, which caused me to squirm in my seat as I thought about Zane. But emotional feelings, because we did a lot more than just have sex. While we waited for our metaphorical batteries to recharge in between bouts of lusty sex, we talked about everything. His hockey career, my studies... my crazy family, his relatively mild and sedate family. We did this as we lay in bed together, his arms wrapped around me and my head lying on his chest. He made me giggle because his humor is dry and condescending in just the right way. We debated with spirit over the best James Bond, and agreed to disagree that Sean Connery would not be my top pick just as Pierce Brosnan would not be his. He pushed and prodded at me about my dreams after school, causing me to think twice about whether I really wanted to be in educational management, or down in the trenches with the children. It wasn't something I had tho

ught about lately because I had been so focused on my studies, but he made me remember that it was my love of children that led me on a career path toward teaching in the first place.

Yes, we talked about it all... taking breaks in between our colloquy to start kissing and caressing again, punctuated with deep groans and satisfied smiles when it was all said and done.

Damn, but I'm feeling all out of sorts when it comes to Zane Kavanaugh. My well-laid plan to get in, get laid, and get out doesn't seem to be working.

I click on his email and open it up.

To: [email protected] (Cady Dunne)

From: [email protected] (Zane Kavanaugh)

Subject: Regrets Are Subjective Anyway

Date: August 29, 2014

Cady,

I realized shortly after you left that maybe there was, in fact, one regret that I might have. And that was in not asking for a way to contact you. I know that sounds weird, seeing as how I live in the States and you live in Ireland, but I figured... we might not be able to see each other, but why can't we remain friends and keep in contact?

While I fucking loved having my face between your legs and being buried balls deep inside of you multiple times, I also realize that I really liked talking to you. You're a cool girl, Cady Dunne, and as such... my only real Irish friend. If that makes me sound like a girl, I hope that doesn't turn you off. If instead it makes me seem very mature, and you'd like to keep up with each other, I say let's go for it.